The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-01-20
Against shO Interests of the
SOnth.
From the Baltimore Manufactures Record.

From the Baltimore Manufactures Record,
In giving his views of the Cullom.
Reagan interstate commerce bill, now
under discussion in Congress, Mr..
John Fl. Tnman, the enterprising
Southern cotton merchant Of New
York city, said to reporter last week
that he believes that the passage Of
the bill in its present form would
work much harm to the South. Mr..
Inman speaks from the standpoint Of
the merchant and manufacturer, for
he holds 90 shares of stock in manu-
featuring enterprises for every share
he holds in railroads, and is thus very
largely interested in developing coal
and iron and cotton manufacturing in
that locality, He said
81 have studied the bill carefully
and conclude that the Cullom- Reag gan
bill has for its object the regulation of
interstate commerce, and further that
there can be no reasonable doubt that
its effect will be to restrict interstate
commerce and to stife competition.
This effect must eventually result
from the so-called short and long haul
provisions OF the bill, which, in prac.
tically prohibiting cheap rates on
through or long haul traffic, strikes at
one chief element in the prosperity of
every State and nation, the economy
OF transportation OF persons and prop.
erty."
The injurious effect OF the long and
short haul provisions will, in the opin-
ion OF Mr., lnman, not be confined
to any section OF the country, but the
South will suffer most, for its mining
and manufacturing interests are still
in their infancy, and because she ships
nearly her entire crop, as well as a
large amount Of pig iron and most Of
her Gotten goods to distant markets,
and therefore is largely interested in
cheap rates on long hauls, and must,
for her future development have all
the fostering care the railroads can Of
fer. Continuing, Mr.. Inman said
1T may be said that the bill pro
vides an antidote for the great evil il
creates in the provision that gives the
commissioners the authority to sus.
pend the operations OF the objection.
able clause. This OF itself is all ad.
mission that this provision is wrong
in principle and should not be kept in
the bill. 1t will not be safe to rely
upon this authority for mitigation Of
the evil, for the fourth section provides
that the commissioners may only act
after investigation OF each special
case. The applications for relief will
be numbered by the thousand, and
how is it possible for the commission
to investigate all these cases and dis
pose OF them within reasonable time
Before relief can be expected competi
tionswill be stified, the commerce o.
the country revolutionized, and many
Industries at the South greatly injur
ed"
| Speaking OF the injurious effect o.
the bill, should it become law, upor
such cities as Atlanta, Knoxville
Nashville, ETC., Mr., Inman said
"They have grown into importance
as distributing centers merely on ac
count Of the low rates that have beer
given them by rail from the North anC
East. They have outgrown the coas
cities of the South, principally OH ac
count of this fact. | have though
this may have had something to dc
with the origin of this measure. Fo
| instance, much Of the cotton and mucl
of the business in Texas has been ship
ped TO the North and Northeast a
long haul and very low rates by rail
whereas if this bill was put into oper
alton, the probable effect would be t.
turn most of the Texas business b.
way OF Galveston, very much to tn
injury of the interior Texas towns
think il Congress woul
enact the Massachusetts, law, creatin
a commission, with some additions
r provisions in the way of requiring tn
roads to give publicity TO their rates
and to treat all shippers impartially
t with penalties against the violation {
: the same, such, measure would re
g suit in real benefit to the business {
> the country and at the same time sa
isfy the public. But / think it ur
wise to endeavor to do more than thi
$ at least until the effect of such mea
@ ure could be tried"